U.N. calls for concerted efforts on food security issues; Australia drives food security as Commonwealth meeting theme

"United Nations officials [on Thursday] called for concerted efforts to ensure the world's fast-growing population has enough food, stressing that global food production will have to double by 2050 when the planet is expected to host one billion inhabitants," according to the U.N. News Centre. "Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon stressed that guaranteeing sustainable food and nutrition security for all will require the full engagement of governments and the private sector" and "said he was encouraged by the renewed political interest in food security, including the prominence that is being given to the issue by the Group of 20 of the world's largest economies," the news service adds (10/27).

In related news, "Australia has flagged food security as a major theme at the 80th meeting of Commonwealth heads of government, backing a push by the United Nations," Dow Jones/Wall Street Journal reports. "Soaring commodities prices have hit poorer countries hard in recent years with figures from the World Bank estimating the higher costs pushed some 70 million people into poverty in 2010-2011," the news service writes, adding, "Australia plans to set up a new A$36 million international center for food security to share expertise with African nations" (Curran, 10/28).